We All Fall Down
by Jeilynn
Summary: A drunken mistake after Serena's birthday party leads to heartbreak and an unknown future. Can Darien and Serena reconcile their differences, or will they forever be torn apart?
1. UnHappy Birthday

Hey everyone! So this is the first Sailor Moon fic I have written in a VERY long time so please bare with me. Also, I've decided that for this particular fic I'll be using the American names for the characters. All reviews are appreciated, and this fic is rated M for a reason so if that's not your cup of tea, please hit the back button now. For everyone else, enjoy!

Serena stood outside the door to Darien's apartment, shuffling around in her purse for her keys. She'd given him a call the previous night when she'd returned home from the party that Darien and the girls had thrown for her, but had gotten no answer. The others had known that Serena would want to spend her birthday with Darien so they'd thrown her a party the night before, so they could all celebrate with her. It was her twenty first birthday so things had gotten a little out of hand, and Serena had to be up for an early class. She'd ended up leaving long before the others with the promise to check in on Darien the next day when she finished with her exams. Her hand closed around the metal keyring just as she heard a heavy thump from the opposite side of the door, and a small smile painted its way across her face. Poor Darien. He was probably hung over and having a hard time getting up this morning.

Turning the key in the lock, Serena pushed the apartment door open, and wasn't at all surprised by the mess that greeted her. Plastic cups and empty bottles littered the coffee table and living room floor. Streamers hung, half fallen from the walls, and half deflated balloons lay here and there. The kitchen was no better. Empty pizza boxes and plastic cups covered the counter, the trash overflowing with paper plates and napkins. Clearing off a space on the counter, Serena sat the box of donuts she'd brought with her on the counter and got a pot of coffee started.

Another soft thud sounded from the other room, followed by the hushed murmur of voices and Serena frowned, her brow furrowed in confusion. Moving quietly through the apartment, Serena made her way toward Darien's bedroom, the sound of voices growing louder. And one of them, was most definitely female. Had one of the girls forgotten something last night?

"Darien? It's me, Serena. I brought breakfast."

Serena pushed open the bedroom door, and shattered into a million pieces. Darien sat in the bed, a sheet barely covering his lap. There was nothing out of the ordinary about that. Darien rarely slept in pajama's when Serena wasn't with him. But it was the other person in the room, that made her heart feel like it would never beat again. Sitting on the other side of the king size bed, with only a sheet covering her naked form, was Rei. They had both obviously just woken up, their hair in a disheveled mess, and empty liquor bottles scattered about the floor. And they had also, very obviously, had sex.

"Serena..."

The sound of her name leaving Darien's lips was like a shot through the heart. She couldn't stand to hear him speak her name. And she sure as hell couldn't stand to stay here staring her boyfriend and best friend who had committed the ultimate betrayal.

"Don't...just don't..."

Serena turned abruptly on her heel and marched out of the bedroom, determined to exit the apartment before her former friend or ex-boyfriend could get dressed and catch up to her.

"Serena wait!"

But Serena wasn't listening as she stormed out of the apartment, taking the stairs two at a time, eager to get away from the scene she'd just witnessed. Tears were already streaming down her face by the time she reached the glass doors at entrance of the building. It took her two tries to get the door open and she suddenly found herself standing in the suffocating summer heat. She needed to get out of here, she needed to get away from this place, away from him. Turning toward home, Serena ran.

Darien stared at the closed door of his apartment, his pulse hammering in his veins. Serena. The look on her face as she walked into that bedroom had broken his heart. He'd never seen a look of such pain in her eyes, and he'd been the one to put it there.

Soft footsteps sounded from behind him, and Darien turned to find Rei standing behind him. She had fully dressed and now shifted nervously from one foot to the other.

"I don't know what to say," Darien said, looking at the raven haired girl in front of him. "I don't really remember what happened last night. How did we end up in bed together?"

"I think the alcohol may have been a big part of it," Rei replied.

"Did we, uh, I mean, I don't really remember, but we were naked this morning. Did we have sex last night?"

A look that Darien couldn't quite decipher painted its way across Rei's face.

"Yeah. We did."

"Shit."

Darien put his head in his hands and made an indecipherable sound of frustration and grief. How could he have let this happen? How could he have been so completely irresponsible?

"I'm sorry Rei."

"Don't be. It wasn't bad," Rei said, trying to make light of it.

Darien could only stare at her. How could she make a joke at a time like this? Didn't she care at all that they had done the unforgivable? Serena was one of the most loyal and loving people he knew. She gave everything she had when it came to the people she cared about. She loved without question or fault. And they had both broken her trust.

"How can you talk like that? Serena is your friend. Don't you feel guilty about what we did?"

"Of course I feel guilty," Rei shrugged. "But, it happened for a reason, right? We wouldn't have slept together if there wasn't something between us, right?"

"There was something between us, Rei. Alcohol. And it made some very bad choices for us. Choices neither of us would have made otherwise."

"Are you sure about that?"

Darian looked at the raven haired girl across from him and tried to feel something, anything, that would give him a reason for why they had ended up in bed together, but felt nothing. What had happened the night before had been nothing more than a drunken mistake. He felt no differently about Rei today than he had the night before, or the day before that.

"I'm sure," Darien replied.

"Just...think about it," Rei replied. "And call me after you've given it some thought."

Darien watched Rei leave his apartment, a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach as he headed into his bedroom to get dressed. He had to find Serena and apologize. She needed to understand that what had happened with Rei had been a mistake. A drunken mistake that he never intended to make. The question was, would she let him explain?

Serena picked up her duffel bag, and settled it on her shoulder and placed the plain white envelope on her desk. She'd rushed back home as quickly as possible and slipped up to her room unnoticed. She'd moved about the room with purpose, grabbing clothes and shoving them into a duffel bag. After what had happened at Darien's this morning, she knew that she had no other choice. She would never be able to stay here and watch them be together. She couldn't. It would destroy her. If there was anything left to destroy. She'd written her parents a letter, and kept it short and simple. She was going away for a while, and didn't want to be found. She didn't even tell them where she was going, just that she would be gone, and not to come looking for her. It was all the explanation she could give without giving too much away.

There was also one more letter she would have to deliver before she left. She'd written a letter to the other girls, explaining why she was leaving, and how much she would miss them. But this was in the best interest of everyone involved, even if it meant she would be dropping out of college. Slipping out her bedroom window, Serena crept over the roof and down to the ground. She didn't want to risk anyone following her. Slipping the envelope into the mailbox with the rest of the outgoing mail, and signaled for a taxi.

"Where to miss?" the driver asked.

"The airport. And step on it."

The driver didn't ask again. Serena looked out the window, gazing at her former home as the cab pulled away from the curb and headed toward the airport. Rain was just starting to fall outside. At least it fit Serena's mood. And maybe she could just pretend that those were raindrops slipping down her cheeks instead of tears.

"Where are you headed miss? If you don't mind my asking, that is?"

Serena's gaze shifted to the driver and back out the window. She hadn't even given a thought to where she would go when she left. She just knew that she needed to get away. Anywhere was better than staying here. And that was her answer.

"Anywhere but here."

So what did everyone think? Good? Bad? In between? Please review, and remember to be kind! Thank you for reading! See you in the next chapter!


	2. All Things Must End

Hey everyone! I really hope everyone liked the last chapter. And I want to extend a thank you to everyone who reviews. It's really appreciated. And just a reminder, this fic is rated M for a reason, so if that isn't your thing, please hit the back button now. For everyone else, enjoy!

Serena stared up at the board in front of her, watching the flight times and destinations changing, and tried to decide where it was she was going to go. She really hadn't thought this through very well. She'd just wanted so desperately to get out of Tokyo, that she hadn't thought of a destination.

"Serena? Is that you?"

Serena could feel her face going pale at the sound of a familiar voice behind her. She turned slowly, and found herself looking up at Andrew. He was dressed in a suit and tie and carrying a bouquet of roses.

"Oh, hey Andrew. What are you doing here?"

"I'm just picking up my fiance, what are you doing here? Going on a trip?"

"Something like that," Serena said, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to another. "I uh, I should really get going. I don't want to miss my flight."

Andrew frowned as he gazed down at Serena's sullen face and knew that something was wrong. He just didn't know what.

"Is everything okay?" Andrew asked. "You don't seem like you usual self."

"I'm fine, really. Just a little tired. I had a late night and an early morning."

"Oh, right, Darien and the girls had a birthday party for you last night, right?"

"Yeah."

But even as she answered, she wouldn't meet Andrew's eyes. She knew he would be able to tell that she was lying, and she really didn't feel like discussing this with him, or anyone right now. Suddenly a voice rang out over the intercom system, announcing a flight arrival.

"I should get going, that's Rita's flight."

"Okay then, see you later."

"See ya, and happy birthday Serena."

"Yeah," Serena muttered under her breath. "Happy birthday to me..."

Serena watched as Andrew walked away and breathed a sigh of relief when he was finally gone from her sight. She'd already wasted the last three hours trying to figure out where she was going. It was time she finally decided. Turning on her heel, she headed over to the ticket counter. It was time to choose her destination.

Darien dialed Serena's phone number for what felt like the tenth time in the last five minutes, but only got her voice mail. After Rei had left his apartment, he'd quickly dressed and started texting and calling Serena. But she was either out of range, or she was ignoring him. Not that he could blame her. He would ignore him too if he'd walked in on the scene that Serena had witnessed this morning. He sat on the edge of his bed, his hands shaking as he looked down at his phone. Where could she be? There were only a handful of places in Tokyo where she might be without phone signal, but he couldn't see her going there. She would want to be somewhere secluded until she was ready to talk to the other girls. And a sudden pang went through him. The other girls. It was only a matter of time before Serena told them what had happened, and then they would hate him to. If only he could explain to them what had happened. Of course, in order to explain, he would have to remember what had happened first. Why couldn't he remember? He remembered kissing Serena goodbye as she left, and wishing her luck on her exams, and he remembered closing the door behind Ami, Lita, and Mina as they left. They'd all planned on sharing a taxi home that night. But after that, everything was a blur. And why was he so shaky? His whole body felt off center, like his balance was off. This wasn't like him at all. Maybe it was just his nerves? He was so anxious to get a hold of Serena that it was getting to him physically.

Darien sighed, his phone slipping from his shaking hands. He bent to retrieve the phone when something beneath the bed, caught his eye. Kneeling down, Darien pulled out a grey metallic shopping bag. The label on the front of the bag wasn't one he was familiar with. Opening the bag, he peered inside and felt a wave of confusion wash over him. Inside lay a blonde colored wig. A woman's wig. Pulling the wig out of the bag, he could see that the hair had been styled exactly like Serena's, though it was now a mass of tangles having obviously been shoved into the bag in a hurry. He looked in the bag a second time and pulled out a half empty medicine bottle filled with strange little pills. He turned the bottle over in his hand and found that someone had torn the label off. There was nothing else in the bag. And for the life of him, he couldn't figure out where any of it had come from. And why was it under his bed? He thought again of his earlier conversation with Rei, and a strange sinking feeling began to build in the pit of his stomach. No. She wouldn't. She couldn't have. Could she?

Just then, Darien's cell phone went off, the shrill alert echoing in the empty room. For just a moment he dared to hope that it was Serena finally getting back to him, but Andrew's name flashed across the screen. Opening his messages, his eyes widened as he stared at the screen. The message read:

 **Saw Serena at the airport. She didn't look so good and was acting kind of strange.**

 **-A**

Forgetting about the wig and pill bottle for the moment, Darien bolted out of his apartment and raced downstairs to the garage where his motorcycle was parked. The airport. His beloved Serena, his princess, was at the airport. He had to stop her before it was too late. Things weren't as clear cut as they appeared. He just needed to explain it to her.

Lita was sitting on the floor of her apartment, tears slipping down her cheeks when Mina and Ami arrived. The mail had come a half an hour ago, and there'd been only one letter. She recognized Serena's handwriting immediately, and for a moment she had wondered why her friend hadn't bothered to just call her. But then she'd opened the letter. She'd had to read it twice just to be sure she wasn't hallucinating. Serena was gone. And there was nothing anyone could do about it.

"Lita? Are you in here?"

Ami's voice filtered in from the entryway. Lita almost always left the door unlocked when she was expecting company. That way the other girls could freely enter the apartment if she wasn't able to answer the door right then.

"I'm in here," Lita said, her voice sounding tight and strangled.

"There you are," Mina said walking in. "For a minute we thought you'd- hey, Lita, what's wrong? Is everything okay?"

Lita shook her head back and forth, trying to regain control of her emotions. She wasn't usually this emotional, but being friends with Serena for so long had opened up a side of her that she didn't normally show people.

"No," Lita said, wiping at her tears. "No, I am not okay."

"What happened?" Ami asked, sitting on the couch beside her.

"Serena's gone."

Ami and Mina exchanged careful glances, both of them confused.

"What are you talking about? What do you mean she's gone?"

"I mean, she's gone. She left Tokyo and she doesn't know if she's coming back."

Ami and Mina erupted into a loud series of questions. They both wanted to know what had happened, and why she was leaving.

"See for yourself," Lita said, handing Ami the letter.

Ami took the tear stained paper from her friend's shaking hand. Mina sat beside her, reading over her shoulder.

"I can't believe this...she's really gone," Ami said.

"How could Rei and Darien do something like this to her?"

And that was the million dollar question. Serena was loyal to a fault, and gave her all to the people she loved. How anyone could go out of their way to hurt her was beyond them.

"What are we going to do, now?" Lita said. "Without Serena the Sailor Scouts have no leader. Are we just supposed to give up? And what happens if there's an attack? Do we just act like we don't know what's going on?"

Mina looked Lita, the wheels in her head already turning. It was true that without Serena they lacked a leader. But that didn't mean it had to be the end of the Sailor Scouts. They would find a way to make it work, until Serena was ready to come back. They had to. The safety of the Earth was on their shoulders.

"The Sailor Scouts go on," Mina said. "It's what Serena would want us to do. She would want us to keep going, until she comes back."

"Mina, you read the letter. She doesn't even know if she's going to come back. For all we know she could be gone for good."

"No, she'll come back. She has to. She's our princess, and the future queen of Crystal Tokyo. She has to come back."

Ami and Lita nodded their agreement. Mina had a point. Serena was never one to give up. Not when it really counted. She would never put her own personal problems over the safety of others. But it also brought up the very real concern of whether or not Crystal Tokyo would even happen now. Could they still have the future that was promised them, if Darien and Serena were no longer a couple?

"What do we do about Rei?" Ami asked. "She's going to show up here and act like nothing happened."

"If she knew what was good for her, she'd stay away. As far as I'm concerned, Rei is no longer one of us."

"Lita..."

"What she did was wrong. And she needs to own up to what she did."

"Lita's right," Ami said. "Rei needs to face the consequences for what she's done. Serena's gone because of her actions, and Darien's. They both need to take responsibility. They don't get to be let off the hook that easily."

"So what are you suggesting?" Mina asked.

"I'm not sure. We can't just kick her out of the Sailor Scouts. Whether we like it or not, she's one of us. But for right now, maybe it's better that she take some time off. At least until we can find a better way of dealing with this."

"I think that would be best," Mina said. "Now we just need to figure out a way to tell her."

Darien raced through the air port, his eyes scanning the crowd for any sign of Serena. Was he too late? Had she already boarded a plane? Weaving his way through the crowd, he caught sight of her. Her blonde hair a glowing beacon in the sunlight that filtered in through the large windows.

"Serena! Serena, wait!"

But she didn't hear him. Darien forced his way through the crowd, dodging irritable travelers and slipping in and out of the way of luggage carts being pulled across the busy airport. He could see her better now, she was still dressed as she had been this morning, a pink jacket thrown over a pale green top and denim shorts. Only now there was a pink duffel bag hanging from her shoulder. And a panic so fierce it nearly undid him, raced through Darien's veins. He could not let her leave. Not without at least trying to explain what had happened last night. Especially after finding that bag. If he could just convince her to come back with him, to look at what was in that bag. Maybe she could help him piece together the missing parts of last night.

"Serena!"

He called her name again, and this time she heard him. Serena turned almost painfully slow and just stared at him, her face blank of all emotion. She'd never looked at him that way before. There had always been nothing but love and joy written across her face when she looked at him. Now there was nothing. It was like he was looking at a stranger.

"What are you doing here Darien?"

"Andrew texted me. He said he saw you here. I had to see you. We need to talk about this."

"There's nothing for us to talk about Darien. You slept with Rei, on my birthday of all days. And you destroyed our future."

"Serena, it's not that simple," Darien insisted, an almost desperate tone in his voice. "It isn't what you think."

"Then what is it Darien? Are you really going to stand here and try to justify sleeping with my friend?"

"I'm not justifying anything, but it's not as simple as you think. There's a lot that you don't know. If you'll just come with me-"

"Come with you? Are you serious right now? After what you two did, I can't even stand to look at you, let alone go anywhere with you. Just...just tell me why, Darien. Why Rei? Why last night? Why wasn't I good enough for you?"

"Serena, you are good enough. You are everything to me."

"I used to believe that once. But after this morning, I know it's not true."

"But it is true," Darien said, pulling Serena close to him. "I love you Serena."

"You have a funny way of showing it. How dare you try to tell me you love me after what you've done! How dare you destroy the life and love that I trusted and then try to tell me you love me! You and Rei have ruined everything! You've destroyed our future!"

"We can still have a future Serena."

"You're right, we can. But it won't be Crystal Tokyo, and it won't be the future that Rini deserved, that we were supposed to have."

Tears were now spilling down Serena's cheeks in rivers, and she could see the pain and guilt written across Darien's face. But it didn't matter. The damage was done.

"Serena, we can still have that. We can still have Rini. She can still exist."

"She already exists," Serena shot back. "She just won't have the life she should have had."

"Wait, what?"

Shock and confusion raced through Darien as he gazed down at Serena. Was she really saying what he thought she was saying?

"Just go home Darien. There's nothing you can say or do that will make me stay. Just go."

"No. Not until you tell me what you meant by that. What do you mean, Rini already exists?" Darien said, grabbing her by the arm. "Answer me Serena! Are you pregnant?"

"Yes," Serena replied, not meeting his eyes.

If the floor could have opened up and swallowed him, now would have been the perfect moment for it. Serena, his princess, was pregnant. And she was leaving him.

"Please don't go Serena. Stay in Tokyo, don't leave. Not now. Let me prove to you that this isn't as bad as it seems."

"I can't," Serena said.

"Why not?"

"Because no matter how hard I try, I just can't get the image out of my head. I can't stop picturing you with her. And if I stay, it'll only get worse. I have to do this. It's what's best for everyone. Goodbye Darien."

Darien could do nothing but stare after Serena as she walked toward the gate, and walked out of his life. Pain like he had never known raced through him, like a piece of himself had been severed away, and the wound would never heal.

He didn't stay to see which plane she got on, or to watch it take off. The pain of Serena leaving him was too much. Instead, Darien returned home to his apartment, the evidence of Serena's party still littering the tables and counter tops. The banner that read; Happy Birthday Serena, lay crumpled on the floor. And it was suddenly like he couldn't function. Without Serena, nothing seemed worth the effort. Just then, his cell phone went off. Pulling the phone from his pocket, Rei's name flashed across the screen, and a strange sort of anger crept through him. He ignored the call and waited for it to go to voice mail. And just like clockwork, Rei left him a message. Going to his voice mail, Darien put the phone to his ear. Rei's too cheerful voice flowed out of the speaker"

 **"Hey Darien, it's Rei. I was just wondering if you'd given any thought to what we talked about this morning? I thought maybe we could get together later tonight to talk. I'll be at Lita's this afternoon but give me a call when you get this okay? Bye."**

Darien deleted the message as a rage he couldn't explain seeped into his veins, going soul deep. Rei was behind this. Somehow, he knew she was behind all of this mess. His gaze shifted to his bedroom, and an idea struck him. There was only one person that bag could belong to. Only one person who would have been in that kind of hurry to have forgotten it. She probably wanted to meet up at his place tonight so she could try and get the bag back before he found it. And one way or another, he was going to make her admit it.

Grabbing the shopping bag from where he'd left it, Darien headed out of the apartment, and made for the garage. Rei had said she would be at Lita's this afternoon. So that's where he would confront her. He wanted witnesses for this.

Lita, Mina, and Ami were still trying to figure out what to do about Rei when they heard the front door of the apartment open and close.

"Anyone here?"

All three girls exchanged glances filled with anger and sorrow. Rei had finally decided to show herself. Maybe she figured they didn't know yet. But she was about to learn otherwise.

"There you all are. No one answered when I came in. I was starting to wonder," Rei said.

Rei walked into the room, seeming far too pleased for someone who had just slept with her friend's boyfriend, and came face to face with three very angry sets of eyes.

"What's going on?" Rei said, looking at her friends.

"Why don't you tell us, Rei. Anything you want to share?" Lita said, unable to keep the anger out of her voice.

Rei looked at each of the other girls in turn and couldn't quite figure out what was going on. For a moment, she thought that maybe Serena had talked to them, but she knew for a fact that the last of their group was not here. Her shoes weren't sitting by the door as they usually would be if she were here. There was no way the others could know. So why did they seem so angry?

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't you?" Mina said. Before Rei could speak there was a loud knock on the front door, and all eyes turned toward the entry way as the door opened and closed. A moment later Darien walked in, carrying something behind his back.

"You," Lita hissed.

"What do you want?" Mina asked, glaring up at the older man.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but this won't take long," Darien said. "Did any of you leave anything at my place last night?"

Mina, Lita, and Ami exchanged glances, confused by the sudden change of subject. After what Darien and Rei had done last night, it had seemed quite the odd question.

"None of us left anything," Ami said, motioning to Lita and Mina. "We made sure we had everything when we left."

Darien shifted his glance to Rei who was looking a little flustered. Did she know what it was he was getting at?

"What about you, Rei? Did you leave anything? Cellphone, a piece of jewelry, or maybe...a shopping bag?" Darien said, holding up the metallic bag he'd found under his bed this morning.

Rei's face paled as she looked at him, her eyes darting from the shopping bag he held in his hand to the front door. And he could practically see the wheels in her head turning. She was wondering just how quickly she could get to the door.

"Of course I didn't. Why would I have left anything?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe you forgot to get rid of the evidence," Darien said, as he looked at the other girls. "I know Serena must have told you what happened. But before you judge me, you should know that I found this under my bed this morning."

And with that, Darien emptied the contents of the shopping bag onto the floor. The blonde wig and pill bottle spilled onto the floor, and the room filled with shocked silence.

"Is that what I think it is?" Mina said, looking at the tangled wig that had been styled to look like Serena's hair.

"It's a woman's wig. And it looks just like Serena's hair," Darien said. "Though I'm more interested in what's in that bottle."

Ami had picked up the bottle in question, examining the little pills inside. She'd seen them once before, in a class she'd taken at the university. And the look on her face as she looked up at Rei told everyone what they needed to know.

"What did you do Rei?"

"I-I don't know what you mean. I've never seen that stuff -"

"What did you do Rei? How could you use something like this?"

Rei was looking like a deer in headlights as she looked back and forth between her friends and the man in front of her. She'd purposely left the bag under Darien's bed. He kept his place so clean that the chances of him actually looking under the bed and finding it had been slim to nothing. And it would still be in place for tonight. Then she could use it again. Or so that had been the plan.

"Okay, fine. I admit it. It was me. The bag is mine."

"But why did you have it?"

Rei shifted from one foot to the other. What she'd done was underhanded, but it had been the only way to get what she wanted, the only way to make Darien hers.

"Admit what you've done Rei. Now. Or I will never respect you again," Darien said, a dangerous growl in his voice. "You owe me that much."

Rei looked at him with defiance in her eyes, and a stubborn set to her jaw.

"Fine. When everyone left last night, I put the pills in your drink. You'd already been drinking and were tipsy enough that you didn't even notice the pills in your drink."

"And the wig?"

"I put it on and pretended to be Serena. You were already so drunk and with the pills in your system, you didn't know the difference. You didn't even notice when I took the wig off."

"You were never drunk were you?"

Rei smiled then, a self satisfied smile that made Lita want to reach out and wipe that smirk right off her face.

"No. I just pretended to be getting drunk so that when we woke up the next morning you would think we'd both been in a drunken stupor."

"You despicable, selfish bitch," Darien growled. "Do you even realize what you've done? You have ruined everything!"

"I didn't do anything you didn't want to do," Rei sniffed. "You were more than willing to be in bed with me."

"Because you drugged me! I never would have touched you, otherwise!"

"I think we both know that isn't entirely true. You have to have felt something for me to get into bed with me."

"The only thing I feel for you Rei, is disgust."

"That isn't true! You want me as much as I want you! You said as much last night!"

"Last night, when he thought you were Serena?" Mina said. "How could you do that to her? How could you betray her like that? She's your friend!"

"Serena's nothing but a simpering cry baby! What's so special about her? Why should she get someone like Darien? She doesn't deserve him! I've always loved him!"

"You are so selfish," Mina said.

"There's nothing selfish in taking what you want."

"Yes, there is," Darien said, looking at her. "Serena is gone because of you! She's gone because of your selfish actions!"

"Oh don't be ridiculous. She hasn't gone anywhere."

"I saw her get on the plane," Darien growled. "I went to the airport to stop her from leaving, but she didn't listen. Serena is gone, and it's your fault. Now she's out there somewhere, pregnant and alone. And I can't even tell her the truth because I don't know where she is!"

Rei was shaking her head back and forth. It couldn't be true. They were just making things up to make her feel guilty for taking what she wanted.

"You're lying."

"It's true, Rei. Serena sent Lita a letter. She's gone. And she may not be coming back."

"Well if she isn't mature enough to-"

"Enough! Get out Rei. Get out of here now. You aren't welcome in my home."

"Oh come on Lita-"

"No. I don't want to hear anymore. You have jeopardized all of our futures out of your own selfish needs. Just go."

Rei didn't say another word as she turned and walked out the door, leaving her former friends behind her. If that was going to be their attitude, then she didn't need them. She would be fine on her own, and she would find a way to make Darien hers. She had all the time in the world, now that Serena was gone.

So what did you guys think? Good? Bad? Please review, and remember to be kind! See you all in the next chapter!


	3. Second Chances

Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay in getting the next chapter out. Life happens. Anyways, thank you for your patience, and I really hope you enjoy this chapter. As always, this fic is rated M for a reason so if that isn't your cup of tea, please hit the back button now. For everyone else, enjoy!

Serena gazed out the window of her third floor walk up apartment, and watched the rain trickling down the window. It had been four months since she'd hopped a plane to New York and left behind everything that she knew and loved. She'd quickly found herself a small, two bedroom apartment, and a job as a waitress at a restaurant down town. She'd been lucky to find a place to live, and a job so quickly, and she had quickly adapted to the city's rhythms. Even if it was a bit lonely. She ran her hands over the gently arched curve of her stomach. This wasn't the way she'd imagined her first experience with pregnancy to be. She wanted Luna, her family, her friends. She wanted...

"Darien..."

Serena ran her hands over the curve of her stomach, tears stinging at her eyes. Why did things have to turn out this way? This wasn't the way it was supposed to be. She and Darien were supposed to be happy. They were supposed to be having this experience together. As she thought of her former love, her cell phone went off. She looked down at the screen and found Darien's name flashing across the ID. Every day since she'd been gone, he had sent her text message after text message, telling her he loved her, that he was sorry, that he needed to talk to her. Text after text went unanswered, and he still continued to message her. She flipped to her messages to see what his message was for this day.

 _"Serena, please, we need to work this out. It isn't what you think. I would never betray your love or your trust. I love you."_

Serena tossed her phone down onto the couch, trying not to concentrate on that message. So many emotions ran through her mind. Why couldn't she just let it go and move on? Why did Darien and his messages have so much hold over her emotions? Just then, her cell phone sounded again. She had an incoming call. Picking up the discarded phone, she saw the name that flashed across the screen. Darien was calling her. With trembling hands, Serena accepted the call.

"Hello?"

"S-Serena? Oh thank God. Serena please, we need to talk. I-"

"Let me make one thing clear. I'm only answering this call to tell you to leave me alone."

"Serena, please, let me explain. It isn't what you think. I didn't cheat on you and I can prove it."

Shock raced through Serena's veins. What the hell was Darien talking about? She was there that morning. She had seen them together, both Rei and Darien, naked in bed, the sheet barely covering them. It had been very obvious what they had been doing.

"What are you talking about?"

"I know it sounds crazy, but I swear, I can prove that I didn't cheat on you."

"How?"

"Tell me where you are."

"I'm not falling for it Darien, nice try," Serena said.

"I'm not trying to pull anything. I can prove it. But I need to do it in person. There's something you need to see. A couple things you need to see. And I can't show you over the phone. Please, just tell me where you are. Let me come to see you and I will give you all the proof you need to see that I didn't cheat on you. I love you Serena. I would never betray you like that. Please."

Serena was silent for a long time. She could hear the pain and pleading in Darien's voice as he spoke. She'd never heard him sounding more desperate. Maybe he wasn't lying. Maybe there was some truth to his words, and that's why he had been so insistent over the last four months. There really was only one way for her to find out for sure.

"Alright," Serena said, her voice sounding tired and strained.

"What...what did you say?"

"I said alright. Do you have a pen and paper?"

She gave Darien her address and instructions on how to get to her. This one time she was going to have to put her faith in him, and hope that this one leap of faith wouldn't send her hurtling to the ground. Sighing softly to herself, Serena shifted her gaze back out the window. The rain had finally stopped, and there was a rainbow forming in the sky.

Darien moved quickly around his apartment, gathering his clothes and the shopping bag with its evil contents into his suitcase. As soon as he had hung up the phone, he'd called the airport and scheduled his flight. He would be leaving in just a few hours to see his beloved Serena. He would prove to her that he hadn't cheated on her, and hopefully try to patch things up with her. He'd been miserable these past four months without her, worrying constantly that something had happened to her or their child. And Rei's constant pestering hadn't helped things either. She'd left him messages, sent e-mails, and even had the guts to make a copy of his apartment key. He'd come home from work late one night to find Rei naked in his bed, waiting for him. He'd bodily dragged her out and put her out in the hallway. Followed quickly by her clothes. He'd had to change to locks after that. The last thing he wanted was to come home to find that traitorous bitch in his apartment again. He'd even let the manager know that she was harassing and stalking him. He was going to do whatever it took to keep her from ruining his life a second time.

Darien looked at the photograph on his bedside table. It was taken just a few days before that awful incident. He and Serena had gone to an amusement park together, and had their picture taken in front of the carousel. They were both so happy, and smiling so brightly. He'd missed her so much these last few months. She had finally agreed to let him see her, so why was he suddenly so nervous? What if she didn't believe him? No, she had to believe him. She had to see the reality of what had happened that night. Serena might be naïve at times, but beneath that innocence and naivete was an intelligent young woman. And she would know he was telling the truth.

Double checking that he had everything needed, Darien headed for the airport. He was finally going to fix this horrible mess that Rei had created. Now if he could just keep his nerves at bay for the long flight ahead of him.

Serena hadn't gotten a single bit of sleep last night. Darien had texted her the second he'd made his flight plans. From the moment she got the message, her heart had been pounding wildly in her chest. What was she going to say to him when he got here? What was she going to wear? And why did she care so damn much? Sighing softly to herself, Serena went to her closet and picked through the handful of clothes that she had brought with her and finally settled on a loose fitting tank top and ankle length skirt. It was one Darien had bought for her last year. It was a pale pink with a swirling pattern across the bottom that was coated in a thin layer of glitter and sparkled as she moved. After adding just a little make-up and a dab of her favorite perfume, she was ready for his arrival.

She was still looking at her reflection in the mirror when she heard the doorbell ring. She glanced at the clock on her cell phone. Darien's flight wasn't due for a couple more hours, so who was at her door? Readjusting her clothing, Serena went to her front door and pulled it open. And much to her surprise, standing there in the doorway soaked from the rain, was Darien.

"Darien..."

"My flight got in early."

Serena could only stare. It was like she was seeing him for the first time all over again. Water dripped from his dark hair, and his shirt clung to his muscular chest, showing the outline of every firm muscle. And even soaked as he was with the rain, he was still just as breathtaking.

"I'm sorry, please, come in," Serena said, feeling flustered. "I'll get you a towel."

"Thanks."

Darien stepped inside and watched as Serena moved through the apartment. She was still just as beautiful as she was the first day she met him. No, more so, because she was carrying their child. He'd clearly been able to see the gently arched curve of her stomach through her tank top.

"This is all I have," Serena said, handing him the towel.

"This is fine, thanks," Darien replied attempting to dry himself the best he could. "I'm just glad you agreed to see me."

"Speaking of which," Serena said, taking a seat on the far end of the sofa. "You said you could prove that you didn't cheat on me. So, let's see your proof."

Darien looked down at Serena, and was suddenly nervous. What if she didn't believe him? What if she thought he was making it all up? No. This was his Serena, his princess and future Queen. She had to believe him. She had to. Because the alternative was too unthinkable. Taking a seat on the opposite end of the sofa, Darien set his suitcase down.

"After you left that day I found something under my bed," Darien started slowly. "It was a silver shopping bag, but not one of yours."

"A shopping bag? That's your proof? Well consider me thoroughly convinced."

"No! It's what was in the bag that was the proof."

Darien opened his suitcase and pulled out the silver shopping bag in question. Serena eyed the bag curiously. There was something oddly familiar about that bag. She could swear she had seen it somewhere before. And then it hit her. She had seen that bag on the night of her party. Someone had brought it in. She'd just assumed that it had contained party supplies. But sometime during the night, the bag had disappeared. And she'd never thought twice about it.

"What was in the bag?"

"This," Darien said, reaching in the bag and pulling out the blonde wig.

"What...? I don't...I don't understand," Serena said, taking the wig from Darien's hand.

The wig was styled to look just like her own hair, and had probably started out in a much neater state than it was in now. But why would someone buy a wig styled like her hair?

"That's not all that was in the bag," Darien said, holding out a small medicine bottle. "These were in there too."

With shaking hands, Serena set the wig aside and took the medicine bottle from Darien. Inside the bottle were several small pills that she didn't recognize.

"I still don't get it," Serena said, looking up at Darien.

"Serena, those pills...they're what men will sometimes slip into a woman's drink when they're planning to..."

"Wait...these are...these daterape drugs?"

Darien could only nod as Serena looked back and forth between the items he'd shown her and Darien's too calm expression. She knew the look so well. It was the one he always got when he was shutting down, and shutting her out, when he didn't want her to know what he was thinking.

"Someone drugged you?"

"Yes," Darien said, quietly.

"But who would-"

But Serena knew the answer to her own question before she even finished saying it.

"Rei...Rei drugged you, and tricked you into sleeping with her."

As the realization dawned on her, a rage Serena had never felt before began to build inside her. How dare she do something so sickening, so despicable!

"I never cheated on you," Darien said quietly. "With the drugs and the alcohol in my system I...Serena that entire night is a blur to me. I can't remember what happened. But I do know one thing, I would _**never**_ betray you like that. You are everything to me."

"Darien..."

Before Serena knew it, she was in Darien's arms, holding on to him like he was the last solid thing on the face of the Earth. How could she have been so blind? She should have known something was wrong the moment she'd seen the look of confusion on Darien's face, and the way Rei had seemed so much more clear headed than Darien had been that morning. To think that she had considered Rei her friend, only to have her do something like this!

"I'm so sorry Darien. I should have believed you."

"Shhh. It's okay. It doesn't matter now. I understand why you reacted the way you did. I can't say I wouldn't have done the same."

"It does matter! Darien, she raped you. And then she made you believe that you were okay with it! How can you sit there and say it doesn't matter?"

"Because I have you back in my arms and that is the only thing that matters."

The tears that Serena had been holding back slid down her cheeks. All this time she'd believed a painful lie over a simple truth, and Darien had suffered for it. How could she have been so selfish?

"Serena...will you come home with me? Back to Tokyo, to our life?"

Serena leaned back just enough to gaze into the depths of Dariens' eyes and couldn't believe that he actually still wanted her.

"You still want me?"

"You're my Queen Serena. For me, there is no one else but you. Only..."

"Only what?"

"When we go back...I want you to move in with me."

So what did you guys think? Good? Bad? In between? Please review and remember to be kind. See you in the next chapter!


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